Bunion pad



Dec. 2, 1952 STEWART 2,619,961

BUNION PAD Filed June 16, 1950 ATTOF VEK Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BUNION PAD Earl M. Stewart, Youngstown, OhioApplication June 16, 1950, Serial No. 168,569

Claims.

This invention relates to a pad for application to the human foot toalleviate pressure and hence pain in connection with bunions, calluses,corns and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a bunion padincorporating a novel shape and composition for effectively relievingpressure on an indicated portion of a human foot and in no way crowdingor misshaping the portion of the footbeing treated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bunion pad orthe like incorporating a uniformly tapered body portion of foam rubbermaterial enclosed in two thin layers of adhesive coated material, theadhesive on one of the layers being usable in securing the bunion pad toa human foot.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bunion pador the like enclosing a gently rounded shape of foam rubber materialincluding horns projecting therefrom for partially encircling a bunion,callus, corn or the like and so shaped as to eliminate crowding or othermovement of the corn, callus or bunion when the device is applied.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of aninexpensive pad for a bunion or the like incorporating a filler pad andmounting sections of adhesive material that may be economically andrapidly produced.

The bunion pad disclosed herein has been devised to provide a device formore effectively relieving pressure as from a shoe on an indicatedportion of a human foot; for example, the enlargement on the sides ofthe great and little toes commonly known as bunions and for applicationto the sole of the foot to areas in which calluses and/or corns havebeen formed. The bunion pads and the like heretofore known in the arthave attempted to provide a cushioning or spacing material as a bodymember to be positioned immediately adjacent the bunion, corn or callusto be treated and to thereby space the shoe with respect thereto toalleviate pressure thereon.

All such devices heretofore known in the art have in common a ratherabrupt shoulder or edge area of the padding or spacing material which ispositioned immediately adjacent the bunion, callus or corn to betreated. Such devices have, therefore, uniformly relieved inwardpressure upon the indicated portion but have commonly converted much. ofthis inward pressure to sideward pressure thereby crowding or pushingthe corn, bunion, or callus to one side and defeating their essentialpurpose in their failure to alleviate pain and discomfort associatedwith such ailments.

The present invention relates to a bunion, corn or callus pad so shapedas to eliminate both inward pressure and sideward pressure and thereforealleviates the discomfort otherwise occur ring. Additionally the deviceof the invention utilizes foam rubber as a cushioning or spacingmaterial in a novel shape, the outer surface of which is convex in anycross section. The device of the invention also forms the bunion pad bypositioning the cushion or spacing foam rubber material between twoappropriately formed sections of adhesive fabric material thus forming aunitary pad and providing an adhesive surface rendering the applicationof the pad to the foot simple and secure.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of a portion of a human foot showing a cornpad applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the corn. pad.

Figure 3 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a bunion pad.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on line -5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bunion pad shown in Figures 4 and 5with parts thereof turned upwardly to illustrate the interior formationthereof. a

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1, 2 and 3 in. particular itwill be seen that a corn or callus pad has been disclosed forapplication to the bottom of the human foot, as shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings, and with respect to a corn or callus indicated in dotted linesand by the numeral ii}.

As may best be seen by referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings thepad comprises an ovalshaped upper layer of adhesive fabric or film H, anarcuate body of foam rubber I2 which is arcuately indented inwardly onone side and which is convex in cross section and an oval-shaped botis across section taken on line v3-4 of tom layer of adhesive fabric or filml3. The top layer of adhesive fabric H has an adhesive coating on thelower side thereof as best shown in Figure 3 and is thusself-positioning with respect to the foam rubber body 12 and withrespect to the upper surface of the adhesive fabric 13 which is providedwith an adhesive surface coating on its lower surface so that the devicemay thereby be applied to a human foot and be selfpositioning thereon.

The device is applied to the foot as indicated in Figure l of thedrawings so that the corn or callus ll] lies partially within the bodymember 12 which is elongated and curved, the one end of which isenlarged as indicated by the numerals HA and the other end of which isrelatively small as indicated by the numeral I213. The body of foamrubber l2 increases slightly in thickness and height between theportions 12B and the Portions IZA. The portion 52A is relatively greaterin height than the portion IZB. The body of foam rubber I2 is taperedgently toward the area partially encirc1ed thereby with the result thatwhen the device is positioned on a corn or callus, as illustrated inFigure 1 of the drawings, the thicker portions of the body of foamrubber l2 are spaced substantially with respect to the corn or callusIll. The flesh about the corn or callus I is not, therefore, forcedupwardly against the corn or callus as would otherwise be the case.Rather, the body of foam rubber l2 forms a cushion or spacing body withrespect to the protected area.

By referring now to Figures i, and 6 of the drawings the bunion padformation of the invention may be seen and it will be observed that thedevice is formed in a manner similar to the corn or callus pad disclosedin Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings with the exception that a bodymember Id of foam rubber disclosed as forming a substantially broadcushioning shape with a pair of spaced sidewardly curving horns l5 andi6 formed thereon and adapted to only partially encircle a bunion on ahuman foot. The upper portion of the body member l4 of foam rubber isconvex in cross section, as best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, sothat it tapers to a relatively thin peripheral edge. The same convexshape and tapering form occurs in the horns l5 and if? so that thethickest portion of the body member It is well spaced with respect tothe area between the horns l5 and I6 and which area defines the locationof the bunion to be treated.

The body member I4 of foam rubber is covered with a top layer ofadhesive fabric H and is thereby self-positioning with respect theretoand the bottom of the body member Id of foam rubber is positioned on asecond layer of adhesive fabric [8. The edges of the adhesive fabriclayer ll extend beyond the body member M as well as the horns I5 and i6thereof and are secured by adhesion to the upper surface of the lowerfabric layer IS.

The bottom of the fabric layer l8 has an adhesive coating which enablesthe bunion pad to be aflixed to a human foot in a desired positionadjacent to a bunion to be treated. In such position the bunion occupiesthe area indicated in dotted lines in. Figure 4 of the drawings and isindicated by the numeral !9. It will be observed that ample space isprovided between the cushioning thickness of the pad as formed by thebody member 14 and the bunion area itself to prevent the moving orpushing of the flesh of the foot toward the bunion area or to preventany 4 tendency toward elevating or lifting the bunion area with respectto the foot itself.

The device thus enables the satisfactory alleviation of discomfortotherwise occurring from a bunion and at the same time makes possible athinner, neater appearing protective appliance with respect to thestocking and shoe of the wearer while at the same time correctly andefficiently relieves the pressure on the bunion area.

In Figures 6. of the drawings the bunion pad disclosed in Figures 4 and5 of the drawings is shown in partially opened position, the upper layerll of adhesive fabric being turned back as indicated by the numeral Ilato directly show the upper convex surface of the foam rubber body memberI l and a portion of the edge of the bottom layer It is also turned upto indicate the adhesive surface thereon which is given the refencenumeral ISA.

It will thus be seen that the bunion pad disclosed herein and in itsalternate form as a corn or callus pad also disclosed herein meets theseveral objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubbermaterial positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, eachadhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber havingits upper surface convex in cross section and arouately indentedinwardly on one side thereof, the fabric layers extending beyond theperipheral edges of the said body member.

2. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubbermaterial positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, eachadhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber havingits upper surface convex in cross section and having two spacedhorn-like sidewardly curving extensions thereon, the upper surface ofeach of which is also convex in cross section, the fabric layersextending beyond the peripheral edges of the said body member and acrossthe area between said extensions.

3. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubbermaterial positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, eachadhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber havingits upper surface convex in cross section, the body member having asingle arcuate horn-like projection extending outwardly therefrom andcurved with respect thereto, the upper surface of the projection of thebody member being convex in cross section, the fabric layers extendingbeyond the peripheral edges of the said body member and across the bodymember and said projection.

4. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubbermaterial positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, eachadhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber havingits upper surface convex in cross section and having an arcuateindentation in one side thereof and near one end thereof, the edges ofthe body member defining the arcuate indentation being relatively thinand tapering upwardly toward the center area of the said body member,the fabric layers extending beyond the peripheral edges of the said bodymember and across the area between the ends of the body of foam rubberas defined by the arcuate indenta ion.

5. As a new article of manufacture an ovalshaped bottom layer offilm-like material having 5 an adhesive coating on the bottom thereof,an elongated curved body member of foam rubber material disposed on saidbottom layer of filmlike material inwardly from the edges thereof, thesaid body member having a relatively thin peripheral edge and taperinginwardly and upwardly to a relatively thick center section adjacent oneend thereof, one edge of the said body member defining an arcuateindentation, the edge of the said body member defining the arcuateindentation being relatively thin and tapering inwardly and upwardlytoward said center end area of the body member, an upper oval-shapedlayer of film-like material having an adhesive coating on the bottomthereof, the said layers of film-like material being larger incircumference than the said body member of foam rubber material and thesaid article being held in assembled relation by adhesion of one part toanother.

EARL M. STEWART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 33,764 Georges Oct, 19, 1943852,328 Hasselman Apr.. 30, 1907 1,984,158 Scholl Dec. 11, 19342,332,473 Salander Oct. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date584,150 Great Britain June 8, 1947

